{"id":3099,"date":"2015-03-26T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2015-03-26T08:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/?p=3099"},"modified":"2015-03-25T12:19:44","modified_gmt":"2015-03-25T12:19:44","slug":"4-challenges-of-teaching-english-and-how-to-overcome-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/4-challenges-of-teaching-english-and-how-to-overcome-them\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Challenges of Teaching English And How to Overcome Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask any English trainer -- it\u2019s extremely rewarding to teach English. There\u2019s no greater feeling than watching your students\u2019 language skills progress, and knowing that you\u2019ve made a positive difference in their life. However, it is<\/i> a complicated language, and almost every learner of English encounters some common roadblocks. If you\u2019re feeling defeated by reviewing the same concepts over and over with no results, don\u2019t worry -- our experienced English teachers have dealt with the same problems time and time again, and have plenty of tips and strategies to overcome them.<\/p>\n

1. Prepositions<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"By<\/a>

By G0h4r (Own work) [CC BY 3.0<\/a>], via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>English is notorious for having an especially large number of prepositions -- too many, most learners of English will say. Indeed, it can be exceptionally difficult to learn when to use \u201cfor\u201d, \u201cfrom\u201d, \u201cto\u201d, \u201cof\u201d, \u201cby\u201d, or \u201cwith\u201d -- and that\u2019s just six of over thirty prepositions in the English language! However, there are several ways to help students master prepositions, including fun games, activities, and classroom exercises -- check out the full\u00a0list of ways to teach prepositions<\/a> from one of our veteran English teachers.<\/p>\n

2. Punctuation<\/b><\/h2>\n

English is notorious for having words that are tricky to spell. Perhaps for this reason, almost all English classes and course books emphasise the importance of spelling. However, often times, the rules about punctuation get lost in the shuffle. Still, punctuation is a crucial part of being able to write clearly in English. Our teacher, Rosie, has several suggestions regarding how to teach the correct usage of apostrophes, commas, hyphens, and more. Consult her\u00a0article about teaching punctuation<\/a> to get some ideas for your next class.<\/p>\n

3. Irregular verbs<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"EnglishVerbsRace\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you ever had an experience in which one of your students \u201cforgetted\u201d the irregular past tense of a verb? Indeed, English verbs are littered with exceptions, and memorising all of them can seem impossible -- not to mention boring. To make the exceptions really stick, try presenting them in a fun context, such as a game. For example, this\u00a0English verbs race<\/a> is a fun, low-pressure way to review irregular verbs, which will make an otherwise unpleasant task both educational and fun.<\/p>\n

4. Informal expressions and slang<\/b><\/h2>\n

Due to the nearly global presence of English-language media, many of your students will be eager to learn about the various words and expressions that they\u2019ve learned through watching movies and TV series. Indeed, teaching informal expressions is important, as it lets students know how English is actually spoken in the real world. Still, it\u2019s vital to have a detailed lesson plan so that you don\u2019t just spend the whole class watching episodes of Friends. <\/i>Eric, one of our experienced English teachers, offers great advice about\u00a0how to teach slang in the classroom<\/a> through a variety of activities like role-play and listening exercises.<\/p>\n

Looking for a fun, informal classroom activity with your adult students? Check out our <\/i><\/b>regional map of American slang<\/i><\/b><\/a>, and talk about your favourites!<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n

Learning a language is a long-term process, and periods of ebb and flow are to be expected. And while it may seem like you\u2019ll never stop correcting your students\u2019 use of prepositions, don\u2019t be discouraged -- our teachers have got your back. For more advice about teaching English, or any other language, check out the rest of our language teachers\u2019 handbook<\/a>, written by our seasoned language teachers. With over 100 articles, it\u2019s sure to have an answer for any language teaching-related question you might have!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ask any English trainer — it\u2019s extremely rewarding to teach English. There\u2019s no greater feeling than watching your students\u2019 language skills progress, and knowing that you\u2019ve made a positive difference in their life. However, it is a complicated language, and almost every learner of English encounters some common roadblocks. If you\u2019re feeling defeated by reviewing(\u2026)<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t \t\t\t\tCONTINUE READING »<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":3102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,236],"tags":[59,445,66,444,65,372,414],"class_list":["post-3099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-learning","category-must-know","tag-english","tag-irregular-verbs","tag-language","tag-prepositions","tag-punctuation","tag-slang","tag-teaching"],"yoast_head":"\n4 Challenges of Teaching English And How to Overcome Them<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Feeling defeated by reviewing the same concepts with no results? 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